Forward Deployed Engineer

Chicago, IL & DMV area (DC / Maryland / Virginia) · On-site with travel to customer sites · Full-time

Compensation: $120K–$140K + equity

About the Company

Our client is a Series A startup building proprietary, enterprise-grade AI systems that their customers own outright, deployed across mission-critical industries such as manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, life sciences, and defense. Backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, they are a small, high-caliber team scaling quickly as demand for their technology grows, with early hires taking on real ownership and direct customer impact.

Founded 2023 · ~20 people · Industry: AI, Enterprise, Manufacturing, Logistics, Defense, Life Sciences

The Role

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will work hand in hand with customers to understand their hardest operational problems and build AI-powered solutions that solve them. You will own projects end to end inside small, fast-moving teams, from first conversation through live deployment.

What you'll be doing

• Partnering directly with customers to quickly get to the root of their toughest operational challenges
• Owning high-stakes projects end to end within small, agile teams
• Traveling to customer sites to drive successful implementation and adoption

Tech stack: Python, C++, TypeScript, JavaScript, AI/ML, React

Requirements

• Hands-on experience personally owning technical deployments from start to finish as a software or forward-deployed engineer
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to customer sites
• Roughly 0 to 3 years of experience in software or forward-deployed engineering
• Solid working proficiency with Python on the backend and React on the frontend
• Direct customer- or client-facing technical experience
• A strong internship track record if you are a recent graduate
• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related STEM field
• Authorized to work in the US (this client is unable to offer visa sponsorship)

Nice to Haves

• Time spent at an early-stage startup, or experience as a founder
• Exposure to manufacturing, distribution, or supply chain

Why Join

• Join a well-funded, fast-growing team where early hires get outsized ownership and direct customer impact
• Backed by top-tier investors, with a small team of engineers from leading programs
• Build custom, high-impact AI in mission-critical industries rather than maintaining legacy systems

Details

• Location: Chicago, IL & DMV area (DC / Maryland / Virginia)
• Work policy: On-site with customers; travel to customer sites expected
• Compensation: $120K–$140K + equity
• Visa sponsorship: Not available, must be authorized to work in the US
• Employment type: Full-time